Delhi businessman fakes robbery to steal Rs 34 lakh from friend

Police said that the businessman, Vinay Kumar called the control room to claim that two bike-borne men had thrown red chilli powder on his face and robbed a bag containing Rs 34 lakh in cash from outside his Kirti Nagar home around 11.30am.

Delhi Police on Wednesday registered a case against a trader who made a fake robbery call in order to steal Rs 34 lakh from his friend.

Police said that the allegedly stolen Rs 34 lakh was recovered during a search at the house of the accused. (HT FIle / Representative Photo)

Police said that the businessman, Vinay Kumar — who deals in leather items and furniture — called the control room to claim that two bike-borne men had thrown red chilli powder on his face and robbed a bag containing Rs 34 lakh in cash from outside his Kirti Nagar home around 11.30am. The businessman told the police that the incident took place when he was going to handover the money to a friend, who was in turn supposed to deliver it to his business partner.

Police said that Kumar’s friend Pankaj Thakur had given Rs 34 lakh to him on Tuesday evening to keep in his house. Thakur had to give the money to his business partner on Wednesday. Kumar parked his Fortuner SUV on the road outside his house and made his uncle sit inside. He then went home and brought the money. Kumar told police that he was walking towards his vehicle when two men on a bike threw chilli powder in his eyes, snatched the cash bag and fled.

Deputy commissioner of police (west) Monika Bhardwaj said that a police team met the businessman, identified as Kumar, and also visited the spot where the alleged robbery took place. Kumar told them that the robbers came on a motorcycle and threw red chilli powder in his eyes.

DCP Bhardwaj said that Kumar’s house was searched and Rs 34 lakh was recovered. She said that Kumar had himself smeared chilli powder on his face. Since he was wearing a pair of glasses, the chilli powder did not enter his eyes. However, to make his robbery story make real, the businessman admitted himself to a local eye hospital for treatment, said the DCP.